SAN FRANCISCO, California - 8/15/2013 - Ideate, Inc., a leading Autodesk® Authorized Developer and Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry with a special focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM), today announced the publication of its latest Study in Success, "Ideate BIMLink Manages Seen and Unseen Data for HDR Wayfinding/Signage."

Wayfinding presents significant challenges to planners who have to collaboratively identify logical traffic patterns, solve problems in architectural and urban spaces, and ultimately help people navigate unfamiliar environments. Immense amounts of disparate data have to be incorporated into BIM models that are primarily designed for other purposes.

The Study in Success explores ways the HDR Wayfinding/Signage studio is using Ideate BIMLink to manage the seen and unseen data in its BIM models. By using Ideate BIMLink, the HDR Wayfinding/Signage studio is enhancing workflows, making the best use of Revit- and non-Revit users' time, and shaving from half to two-thirds the time required to create message schedules.

HDR is a global employee-owned firm of more than 7,500 AEC professionals in more than 185 locations. Rick Sorensen, Wayfinding/Signage, HDR, says, "With Ideate BIMLink, we can take full advantage of Excel's capability to reveal multiple lines of data at once. We may not be able to see all the data in the model, but we can see it all in Excel." Autodesk Revit-user Sorensen receives input from the non-Revit using members of the studio team in Excel. As a result, he does not have to spend a second thinking about model integrity. Instead, he tasks Ideate BIMLink with pushing the Excel-checked data back into the BIM model. The accuracy is reliable, and that contributes to even greater efficiency. Efficiency allows for a better end result and value to the owner.

Sorenson adds, "In the past, I would spend three days at a specific data management task that I can complete now in one-half to one-third the time. As for cost savings, we are limited on our hours per project. Anything that saves us time saves us money."

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc., says, "We are delighted that Ideate BIMLink, one of our Ideate developed software solutions, is creating a new workflow solution and contributing to the success of customers such as HDR. Our software development grew out of our desire to overcome gaps our customers faced repeatedly. We continue to improve the flow of information, facilitate collaboration between Revit and non-Revit users, and make data management on a vast scale much easier."

Ideate has published "Ideate BIMLink Manages Seen and Unseen Data for HDR Wayfinding/Signage" online. Read the full story here.

About Ideate, Inc.

Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years' experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is an Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk's highest levels of authorization.

Ideate BIMLink lets users pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into user-friendly Microsoft Excel and push Excel data into Revit with equal ease.  

Ideate Explorer for Revit is a simple, powerful Autodesk Revit add-on to explore, quantify and manage the 100,000+ building elements in a Revit model. 

Autodesk, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

SAN FRANCISCO, California - 6/26/2013 - Ideate, Inc., a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer and Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry, today announced the publication by Autodesk, Inc. of its latest Autodesk Developer Network Partner Success Story, "Exceling at problem solving: Ideate leverages decades of experience to help customers solve problems and reap the rewards of BIM."

The Autodesk Developer Network Partner Success Story reveals how Ideate-developed Autodesk Revit product-based applications--Ideate Explorer for Revit and Ideate BIMLink--have become highly successful solutions that stem from customer pain points. Marketed worldwide directly, through partners and via Autodesk Exchange Apps, these tools address the ever-growing need to access and manage BIM data with ease, speed and precision.

Glynnis Patterson, Ideate Director of Software Development says, "We are helping customers identify and understand the hidden costs and loss of revenue due to process inefficiencies, while our solutions help customers eliminate bottlenecks, overcome workflow gaps and dramatically improve efficiencies. Tasks that once took days and hours take seconds. Costs drop substantially. Productivity climbs. The outcomes are gratifying."

According to Jim Quanci, director of the Autodesk Developer Network, "The dedication to interoperability with Autodesk Revit makes Ideate a valued and trusted Autodesk Developer Network partner. Ideate consistently delivers comprehensive, easy-to-use applications to our AEC customers so they can maximize productivity and efficiency, and extend the power of their Autodesk software."

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc., says of the Autodesk Developer Network partnership, "We were BIM and Autodesk Developer Network pioneers. Being a member of ADN is a robust and strategic relationship. We find it's important to be informed about upcoming functionality and to get the tools and technical assistance for early application development. It is one important way we enhance our customers' workflows and contribute to their success."

Ideate has published "Exceling at problem solving: Ideate leverages decades of experience to help customers solve problems and reap the rewards of BIM" online. Download the Study in Success at http://www.ideateinc.com/ideas/case.html

About Ideate, Inc.

Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years' experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is an Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognizedas an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk's highest levels of authorization.

Ideate BIMLink lets users pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into user-friendly Microsoft Excel and push Excel data into Revit with equal ease. 

Ideate Explorer for Revit is a simple, powerful Autodesk Revit add-on to explore, quantify and manage the 100,000+ building elements in a Revit model. 

Autodesk, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

SAN FRANCISCO, California - 5/28/2013 - Ideate, Inc., a leading Autodesk® Authorized Developer and Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry, today announced the publication of its latest Study in Success, "Kasian Sets a New Facilities Planning Standard using Ideate BIMLink."

The study reveals how Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning, with offices in Canada, China and the Middle East, is eliminating information bottlenecks and easing workflows by using Ideate BIMLink for Autodesk Revit®. The Kasian office in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, developed and spearheaded the use of Room Data Sheets (RDS) which enable the firm to harness all relevant BIM data for project stakeholders. The practice is fast becoming facilities planning policy for the firm worldwide.

The Ideate BIMLink-facilitated approach came out of a need to overcome escalating costs in time and prospective software purchases. To formulate and verify a single large project's program/spatial requirements via traditional methods, Kasian estimated a cost of $400,000 Canadian (CA$). By revising workflows with Ideate BIMLink, those anticipated expenditures were reduced to $5,000 CA$.

Kasian BIM Support Specialist Laura Kay Smith says, "In the past, we did all the Room data and qualifications by hand, which cost us expensive time. With our new standard that brings in Ideate BIMLink at the beginning of every Integrated Project with Strategic Facilities Planning, we save an immeasurable amount of time and money. And designers are apt to have less re-design."

Brigid Barriscale, Kasian Associate, adds, "When the Strategic Facilities Planning Department used to check data sheets by hand, it took two to three weeks. With Ideate BIMLink, it takes more like two to three hours."

Along with examples of savings, the Study in Success also details several Kasian projects and the role Ideate BIMLink had in the project's success.

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc. says of this latest Study in Success, "When we see our Ideate-developed software become integral to a firm's standards, we are especially gratified. We consider changed workflows a demonstration of the value of our solutions."

Ideate has published "Kasian Sets a New Facilities Planning Standard using Ideate BIMLink" online. Read the Study in Success.

This post was originally published on the Ideate Solutions Blog 05.28.2013

About Ideate, Inc.

Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years' experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is an Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk's highest levels of authorization.

Ideate BIMLink lets users pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into user-friendly Microsoft Excel and push Excel data into Revit with equal ease.

Ideate Explorer for Revit is a simple, powerful Autodesk Revit add-on to explore, quantify and manage the 100,000+ building elements in a Revit model.

Autodesk, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

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We’ve just completed an exhaustive survey of our Ideate BIMLink user base and thought we’d share a few of the findings.

First and foremost, we want to extend a big thank you to all who participated. We had respondents from across the globe share information on how they use Ideate BIMLink. The winner of our drawing for the iPod Touch is Aida Staugaard of HOK in Los Angeles – Congratulations Aida and thanks for the great input!

In many respects, the survey helped us validate the value of the product features and ease of use. To whit, the respondents who:

• Found Ideate BIMLink easy to use = 87%
• Use Ideate BIMLink to manage sheet-based data 6x or more per project = 34%
• Use Ideate BIMLink to manage room-based data = 93%
• Use Ideate BIMLink to manage Furniture, Fixtures, or Equipment Families = 72%, and Doors = 83%

It’s interesting to note that the ROI for editing the sheet-based data alone was easily 20 hours per project saved x minimum of 50 projects per year. If one assumes a burdened salary of $65/hr, the annual savings for just editing sheet data would be $65,000 in the first year!

What was most interesting to us was to learn about the unique ways in which our customers use Ideate BIMLink today. Here’s a brief sampling:

• Sun Shades (Generic Models) - Pushing heat transfer and sightline data from Excel into Revit objects
• Managing Large Volumes of Custom Sheet-based Data - Several customers manage 10+ custom parameters per sheet. For a 100-sheet project, that’s 1000 pieces of data to manage for each issued set (and a lot of painful editing!)
• Restoring Lost Key Schedule Data after mistakenly deleting a Key Schedule - Ideate BIMLink was used to reconnect the Room IDs with the appropriate values for over 10 parameters x 100s of rooms in a matter of seconds, preventing hours of lost time
• Solar Panel Data - The shaded areas are being represented on the facades with Filled Regions. Ideate BIMLink is used to export the areas of all these regions for further calculations
• Hospital Equipment - Producing data-rich BIM documents for hospitals is the only way to stay competitive. Ideate BIMLink help many customers populate reams of parameter data on a variety of families
• Lighting Fixtures - A lighting manufacturer uses Ideate BIMLink to manage a catalog of light fixture data across several product lines

We appreciate everyone’s input and look forward to implementing many of your suggestions into our next release. Share your suggestions with Ideate Software.

Visit the Ideate Software website for more information on our software solutions, training, and support services. 

About the Author

Glynnis Patterson, NCARB – Director of Software Development
Glynnis is a registered architect and has worked within the building information modeling (BIM) industry since 1998. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she has worked as an architect, educator and construction site manager. Glynnis is the Director of Software Development Services and continues to work with AECO clients worldwide, developing, and consulting on solutions to BIM challenges. In her spare time, Glynnis volunteers for the local high school and with growitgreenmorristown.org. Find Glynnis on LinkedIn.